19 new COVID-19 cases recorded in 24h

A total of 19 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed on Monday from samples that were taken within one day,
New statistics provided by the Health Ministry showed that there are now 7317 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 172 deaths.
The latest fatalities were reported on Sunday, following the deaths of two males – a 78-year-old from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and a 60-year-old from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica).
However, six patients remain in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 38 in institutional isolation and six in institutional quarantine. There are also 670 persons in home isolation. Some 6431 of the 3756 males and 3561 females have recovered completely. To date, Guyana has tested 46,895 individuals.
Meanwhile, an analysis of new cases showed that new cases were confirmed in Regions One (Barima-Waini), Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Five (Mahaica-Berbice), Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).
The total cases detected thus far in Regions Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) remain constant at 232 and 409 respectively.
Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony on Monday related that efforts are ongoing to acquire vaccines, noting that more will be available in the near future. Guyana will be acquiring its first batch through the COVAX mechanism.
“Vaccines are going to become more available on the international market and many of the countries that are manufacturing the vaccines are giving them emergency use authorisation…We’ll have to see how vaccines become available and which ones are being registered with the WHO and so forth. Once they’re registered with the WHO, I think we can get them in Guyana as well,” the Minister indicated.

COVAX, the global initiative to ensure access to coronavirus vaccines for all countries despite economic status, would have signed an advance purchase agreement with Pfizer for up to 40 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine candidate last week. This vaccine has already received the WHO emergency use listing. As such, COVAX announced that rollout will commence with the successful negotiation and execution of supply agreements.
COVAX also said that it will exercise an option via an existing agreement with Serum Institute of India (SII) to receive its first 100 million doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford University-developed vaccine.
COVAX also anticipates that with another existing agreement with AstraZeneca, at least 50 million further doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine will be available for delivery to COVAX participants.
Initiatives led by the World Health Organisation, UNICEF and Gavi, are already well underway for COVAX to deliver vaccines to economies eligible for support. Gavi is making US$150 million available from its core funding as initial support for preparedness and delivery.